PrototypeMaximum Ride
by Black Dahaka
Summary: After ridding Manhattan of the infection Alex Mercer goes off to find PARIAH. Not having any luck, he meets up with max and the flock and decides to help them
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

Alex

I sighed; my search for PARIAH was not going well. All the key personnel I had consumed in Manhattan during the outbreak and not one of them knew anything close to useful. The only information I had was from General Randall and that PARIAH was in Vandenberg Air Force base. I had already search there and found nothing but dusty buildings and a few mutilated remains, knowing full well what that meant I gave up, having nowhere to go.

I decided to wander the country, see sights that I had never gotten to see in my previous life as Alex Mercer. I had regained all of his memories and experiences but like all the other people I had consumed, they didn't feel like mine, just another life to add to the thousands I had taken.

When I finally came out of the trance I had entered while travelling, I found myself in Arizona. Alex's memories told me that an old colleague now lived around here. I decided to go and see her, have a talk. I haven't had the chance to do that since I woke up in the Gentek morgue. Blackwatch had given up trying to kill or capture me, I guess they finally realized it wasn't worth the trouble and the fact I had done any killing since I had destroyed the infection, but everyone I used to know (or Alex used to know) was dead. The only person that remained was this one colleague whose name was Dr Valencia Martinez. I didn't know exactly where she lived and so set out to find a payphone to see if I could find her number. I was turning the corner of an abandoned warehouse when out of nowhere a teenaged girl appeared from the sky, huge tawny wings growing out of her back.

_Well things just got interesting_ I thought.

I followed her to where a group of teenaged guys, around 15 or 16, were crowding around a younger girl who looked to be about 12 or so.

_So bird girl wants to be a superhero _I said to myself, well lets see how this pans out. A huge grin appeared on his face as he realized he might just have something to do now after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Max

Of course, if I could've taken off by then I would have been a little speck in the sky. But I couldn't let those yoyos see my wings and within seconds I was in the woods anyway.

I ran through the underbrush, smacking away branches, glad I was wearing shoes. I had no idea where I was going.

I heard a gunshot and a tree to the side of me exploded; they were actually firing the shotgun! Damn American laws I thought.

I heard a second shot fired and then a slight grunt. I stopped and turned around to see man standing in front of me, he was wearing a black leather jacket with a red tribal design on it, a grey hoodie, blue jeans and shoes, there was a bag slung over his shoulder. Something told me that I should get away, like I primal instinct that had been quite up till now, I was sure I had seen someone like this guy before but I just couldn't remember where. The guys who were chasing finally caught up and looked shocked at the man. I couldn't understand why at first then I realised he must have got in the way of the shot, meaning he took it directly to the torso.

There something up with this man I thought to myself, he took a shotgun blast head on and is still standing.

The man just looked at the two people in front of him, the one with the gun brought it up, as if to fire it at him again. Almost to quickly for me to follow, the man moved forward and yanked the gun out of the teenager's hand then punched him and went flying back into a tree then crumpled to the floor unconscious. The man then looked at the other one that was frozen still and spoke to him with a voice that sent a shiver down my spine.

"You better take your friend there to a hospital, I think I hit him a bit too hard. And leave that girl you were talking alone, or I will come and find you, we don't want that now do we?" the bully finally seemed to come out of his fear locked state, rushed over to his friend and carried him away.

The man then turned around to look at me and I saw why the bullies seemed so frightened of him, the hood shadowed most of his face, the only thing I could see where two piercing ice blue eyes that had an inhuman glow to them. I will never tell anyone else this but I may have squealed in fright a little.

"well then" the hooded figure said menacingly "what do we have here"

it was then I wished I hadn't tried to play hero once again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Alex

I looked down at the bird girl that was standing before me, like everyone else I talked to, though she was trying not to show it, she feared me, it must have been an instinct telling them they were in a superior predators presence. I looked at the blood staining her top and figured she must have been hit pretty bad, she was trying to keep herself together but I could make out pain in her eyes. After all I was used to reading emotions like that and the knowledge from the psychologist I had consume helped as well.

"You looked pretty banged up, we should you to a hospital or something"

"No way" the girl replied, a different kind of fear registering in her voice and eyes. "Besides, I'm not that injured, it will heal soon" she said defiantly. I stared at her intently, trying to guess what was going through her mind and why she was refusing medical treatment. Her wings must have meant she was part of some kind of experiment, meaning she was distrustful of any scientist or adult all together, her rough look also meant she must have escaped at some point maybe recently. All that adds up to the fact she wants to stay hidden away to avoid suspicion and any chance of being found.

"That's a lie and we both know it" I said sternly. "I would do it myself but I don't have any equipment at all needed to treat a gunshot wound". She registered this but stayed silent, knowing I was right. "From the way you denied treatment and the fact that you have wings" her widened in shock at this statement "I can guess that people are looking for you and you don't want to be found." She looked at me with some form of intent, as if she was thinking about fighting me and running away.

"Yeah, that's right" she whispered angrily "and I'm not about to be found out". She lunged at me, right arm drawn back ready to punch; I just stood there and let it connect. I heard a crack and saw her wince in pain once again, figuring that her hand had either fractured or broken, that blow was stronger than a normal human, but nowhere near the strength of the super soldiers or hunters I had faced in Manhattan. I decided to try a different tactic, I willed my body to form two huge black bat like wings, I stretched them out figured that the wingspan would be about 35 feet long, the ends of the wings were sharpened and I figured I could use them as a weapon. The girl looked shocked and impressed at the same time, though less of the latter.

"I'm mot exactly normal either you know" I spoke quietly; trying to get some sympathy to get across in my voice, knowing what it was like to be hunted. "I have a friend that lives around here somewhere, they used to study medicine, maybe they can help you." The girl looked on, face blank, I could almost hear the gears whirring in her head as the figured out what to do. Finally she nodded her head and accepted my offer. I stuck out my hand

"My name is Alex Mercer" she took my hand and shook it, though still wary of me

"Maximum Ride"

I folded in my wings, or rather dissolved them back into my body, as there was no need to have them out at the moment and motioned her to follow. I then activated my sonar ability I had developed during my travel when hunting for food, and tried to find Dr Martinez. The pulse returned and I headed in that direction, Max following at a wary distance behind me. While we walked she asked about my wings, I told her that I had been part of cross species genetics program, I was the only successful subject and so knowing that the serum they used on me worked they tried to kill me, but I managed to escape and have been hiding ever since. I figured I was a believable enough story for something I had made up on the spot. I was not willing to reveal my true identity to anyone yet. We arrived at the Martinez residence a little while later, through the window I could see a young girl that looked exactly like the one max had protected earlier, putting aside that thought as coincidence I went up and knocked on the door. The girl answered, looked at me, then to max behind me, eyes widening in recognition and worry when seeing the wound.

"hello, I found this young girl wandering through the woods and saw that she needed some help, this is the first place we came to, could you possibly help us?" I said politely, trying not to scare or intimidate her.

"Mom!" the girl exclaimed, "there is a girl out her and she needs help"

she looked back at me and reassured "don't worry, my mom is a vet, she'll know what to do"

A vet? I thought that was remarkably appropriate. I looked back to Max and saw she was thinking the same thing. Dr Martinez came to the door, looked at me, then to Max and simply said "come on in."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Alex

I sat patiently and waited for Dr Martinez to finish up with max. Eventually she came into the living room, her daughter Ella accompanying her. They both sat down on the couch opposite me. Valencia stared at me with a unflinching gaze, which I returned, before finally speaking.

"What are you doing Alex?" she asked firmly, expecting a truthful answer.

"I just thought I would visit an old friend is all" I replied, grinning with what anyone else would call sadism, to him however it was a normal smile.

"We both know that's not the full truth" her face set in scowl. Ella was looking uncomfortable and after a few seconds decided to leave, heading upstairs to her room. That would make things easier; I no longer had to be secretive.

"Just how much do you know, Valencia?" not moving my gaze away from hers, this was a battle she was not going to win.

"Everything."

"Well that was certainly more than I was expecting, how'd you know?"

"Not for you to know"

"Okay, I'll humour you, I'm was looking for PARIAH but I wasn't having much luck, so I came to see you, have a chat when bird girl came out of the sky, so I figured they might be related and have decided to follow them and see where they take me" I sighed, Valencia just looked at me, trying to see if what I said was true or not, I never really had that problem, a benefit of being able to absorb memories.

"Why are you so worried about this girl anyway?"

"None of your business"

"Well then I think im done for now, im going to rest" I said as I lay down on the couch, effectively ending the conversation.


End file.
